Travel agents plan trips and make travel arrangements for their clients.

Travel agents talk to customers to find out more about their travel plans. They learn:

• Where customers want to go
• When customers want to travel
• What is the customer's budget

Travel agents use customer plans to look up flight, cruise, hotel, and car rental information. For example, they look up arrival and departure times for different flights.

Agents discuss options with customers and make reservations. They calculate the cost for airline tickets and receive payments from customers. They print out tickets and itineraries. They may organize trips for one or two people, or for large groups.

Agents often base recommendations on their own travel experiences. They may visit hotels, resorts, and restaurants to judge the comfort, cleanliness, and quality of food and service.

Travel agents promote their own services. They present slides or movies to social and special interest groups to find new customers. They give out brochures about travel destinations to customers.

Agents may advise international travelers about:

• Customs regulations
• Passports and visas
• Money exchange rates

Travel agents in small offices may type travel schedules, estimate costs, and perform other clerical duties. In larger firms office assistants perform these tasks.